Slow Cooker Winter Ratatouille

Ratatouille is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes of all time. And I just accidentally discovered a way to make it in my slow cooker. In the dead of winter.

Ratatouille is a magical dish that turns ordinary vegetables into something extraordinary. The veggies become soft and velevety and soak in the olive oil while slowly roasting.

So, I had two eggplants that needed using up, as well as onions and peppers – the core of vegetables needed for ratatouille. But. I had no zucchini, which is very expensive this time of year. I did have an acorn squash, and so I decided to throw caution to the wind and sub in the acorn squash for the zucchini. The substitution worked perfectly – and I also learned that a slow cooker is a perfect tool for giving veggies that soft, velevety classic ratatouille texture.

I peeled and cut the acorn squash into chunks and then microwaved them for a few minutes to give the acorn squash a head start – to make sure this winter squash would get fully cooked at the same time as the other vegetables.

The key is to stir occasionally- I know, I know, very unusual – so that the water evaporates and you don’t wind up with a soupy, soggy mess. Just stir the veggies once in awhile ( about every 30 minutes) and you will have the perfect flavor and texture for your veggies.